Your new favourite TV show awaits… (Picture: Netflix)
There’s no shortage of great TV shows to get stuck into on Netflix – from the streaming platform’s originals through to series that first made their mark elsewhere.
Whether you’re after critically claimed shows with perfect Rotten Tomatoes scores, or you prefer a touch of nostalgia – opting for one of the many 90s TV shows on the platform – Netflix has something for everyone.
But once you’ve binge-watched your way through the firm favourites, and you’re keen to find out what else Netflix has to offer, dig a little deeper and you’ll find the service’s ‘hidden gems’ – those TV shows which may not have previously been on your radar, but really should be.
You may not have heard of all them (or all of their stars), but that doesn’t mean these shows aren’t worthy of your attention. Read on to find out which lesser-known shows on Netflix you should be adding to your watchlist immediately…
1. Arcane (2021)
Arcane boats an impressive 100% Rotten Tomatoes score (Picture: Courtesy of Netflix)
Kicking off our rundown is this stellar bit of adult animation, set in Riot Games’ League of Legends universe and featuring a voice cast that includes the likes of Hailee Steinfeld and Ella Purnell.
Set amid escalating unrest between the utopian city of Piltover and the depressed, seedy city of Zaun, Arcane centres on sisters Vi and Jinx, who become caught up in a developing conflict over clashing convictions and arcane technologies.
The show has not only won a brace of awards – becoming the first streaming show to nab an Emmy award for best animated series – but it also has a coveted 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with Time Magazine praising its ‘transcendent animation’.
Oh, and a third and final series is on its way in November 2024. So get watching now before it lands.
2. Kim’s Convenience (2016-2021)
There are five seasons of Kim’s Convenience to binge watch (Picture: Netflix)
This Canadian gem ran for five seasons from 2016 until 2021 – and if you’ve never had the chance to see it, then you now have that opportunity on Netflix.
The show focuses on the Korean Canadian Kim family, who run a convenience store in Toronto, as they deal with customers, each other and the world around them.
It’s based on a 2011 stage play by series co-creator Ins Choi (which is currently playing at West London’s Riverside Studios) and has also been a hit with viewers who’ve referred to the show as ‘heartwarming’.
And if you’ve never seen it before, this one should keep you busy for a while.
3. The Staircase (2018)
The Staircase is a must-watch for true crime fans (Picture: Netflix)
True crime documentaries are big business on Netflix, with folk flocking to cases of real-life murders, robberies, and roommates from hell. But this series might just have slipped under your radar.
The Staircase follows the case of crime novelist Michael Peterson, who was accused of killing his wife Kathleen after she was found dead at the bottom of a staircase in their home in 2001.
Originally released in 2004, director Jean-Lavier de Lestrade returned to film Peterson and his family in 2012 and 2013 following new developments in the case – with three new episodes later being made for Netflix before they released the whole lot in 2018.
Like so many entries into the genre, this one will keep you gripped.
4. Russian Doll (2019)
Natasha Lyonne stars as a woman who is forced to relive the day she dies on a loop in Netflix’s Russian Doll (Picture: Netflix/Everett/REX/Shutterstock)
A starring vehicle for Orange Is The New Black’s Natasha Lyonne, Russian Doll proved popular when it arrived in 2019. It landed a second series, but there’s been no word on a third, meaning it may have slipped quietly from some folks’ watchlist since it last aired in 2022.
The show, a sort of darkly comic cross between Groundhog Day and Happy Death Day, sees Lyonne star as Nadia, a woman who is stuck in a time loop on the same day – one which ends with her dying – leaving her trying to figure out what on earth is going on.
And series two gets even weirder as she travels back to 1982 and finds herself trapped inside the body of her mother. As odd as it might sound, this one is well worth your time.
5. I Am Not Okay With This (2020)
I Am Not Okay With This is a classic coming-of-age tale (Picture: Netflix)
Netflix does of course have more than its fair share of graphic novel inspired shows and coming of age dramas, but this one might well have slipped past you unnoticed.
I Am Not Okay With This, based on Charles Forsman’s book, centres on a troubled teenage girl, Sydney Novak (Sophia Lillis), who discovers she has psychokinetic powers triggered by strong emotions. She has to try and gain control over these, while also dealing with the complicated relationships in her life.
While the show gained itself a cult following, it also fell victim to the pandemic. The first series debuted in February 2020, with Netflix announcing just months later they wouldn’t be making a second, citing ‘circumstances related to the pandemic’. Boooooo.
Still, at least you have this one, and you should add it to your watchlist without delay.
6. Terminator Zero (2024)
Animated series Terminator Zero is a new addition to Netflix (Picture: Netflix)
We’re probably all familiar with the Terminator movie franchise, since Arnold Schwarzenegger first warned us in 1984 that he would be back, but how many of you have seen Netflix’s anime series set in the Terminator universe? Well, now’s your chance.
The show only premiered a few weeks ago, but it’s already a hit with audiences and critics, picking up a decent 86% Rotten Tomatoes rating on its debut.
Set in Tokyo in 1997, the action centres around Malcolm Lee, who is developing an AI system to compete with Skynet, only to find himself and his family being pursued by a robot assassin, and falling under the protection of a mysterious soldier from the year 2022.
So pretty much the Terminator story we all know and love, but done in a whole new style that’ll keep you hooked.
7. Sugar Rush (2018-2020)
Bake Off fans should check out Netflix’s Sugar Rush (Picture: Courtesy of Netflix)
And finally, here’s one you probably see on your Netflix index every time you switch on, but may never have got around to watching.
Well, if you can’t stay away from Bake Off and all the other TV shows in which folk get to show off their talent for whipping up baked goods, then you really ought to give this one a go.
Sugar Rush sees professional bakers compete in teams of two to whip up the best sweet treats with rounds dedicated to cupcakes, confectionery and cakes, with professional chefs Candace Nelson and Adriano Zumbo on board to judge their efforts.
So a bit like Bake Off The Professionals, only with a more edge-of-the-seat approach. If you have a sweet tooth then next time this one shows up on that index, be sure to press play.
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